The MV Sun Sea: A Case Study on the Need for Greater Accountability Mechanisms at Canada Border Services Agency

In the summer of 2010, the human rights record of Sri Lanka in the aftermath of its civil war remained dismal.1 In Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board’s acceptance rates for refugee claims made by Tamils �� eeing Sri Lanka was at approximately 84 percent.2 On 13 August 2010, a cargo ship, the MV Sun Sea (Sun Sea), arrived off the coast of British Columbia carrying 492 Tamil men, women, and children who were �� eeing Sri Lanka. Their voyage took just over two months, under horrible conditions. One passenger had died at sea. Most, if not all, had paid tens of thousands of dollars to board the ship to take this dangerous voyage. All made claims for refugee protection on arrival